Reaping-machine attachment.



its

ATENT Fries.

ISAAC E. SI-IUMAKER, OF DEANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

REPING-MACHINE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,120, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed November 28' 1898. Serial No. 697,675. (No model.)

To afZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, ISAAC E. SHUMAKER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Deauville, in the county of Armstrong and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inReaping-Machine Attachments, ofwhich the following is a specification.

i This invention relates to reaping-machines, and is particularlyadapted to be used in combination with that part known as the table orplatform.

The object of the invention is to hold the grain or grass on theplatform when reaping on hillsides or uneven ground and to dump lthesame when a desired amount is collected thereon.

Another object of this invention is to provide such a device which isautomatic, easily and quickly applied, exceedingly cheap and simple inits construction, and one that will eiciently performV all of itsintended func! cation, `Figure l is a perspective view of areaping-machine platform, showing my ini vention as applied; Fig. 2, adetail view of the drop-board with arm attached. j

Referring by letters to the drawings, A represents the platform of areaping-machine, having attached to its outer edge by hinges B adrop-board C, which is substantially oval in shape and provided upon oneend with an arm D, so constructed that it Will notfcatch and drag thegrain or grass. To the free end of this arm is attached a spiral springE,

`which is connected to a stay F, secured to the rear end of the platformand provided with a series of apertures G, adapted to receive thespring, thus aording means for adjusting the tension, so as to regulatethe device for cutting either light or heavy grain. The dropboard istripped by the weight of the grain. Thus the tension should be adjustedaccording to the thickness or thinness of the grain in which the machineis working, so as to deposit the bundles in piles of equal sizes.

It will be understood that when the weight of i the grain upon theinclined platform reaches a predetermined amount the dropboard will beswung outward and downward thereby automatically, thereby releasing thematerial.

The side H is detachably secured to the outeredge of the platform A bymeans of strips I, which fit within apertures formed within cleats J,extending from under the platform. The stay F is preferably secured to`this detachable side.

It will thus be seen that I provide a device that will efficientlyperform all of its intended functions and one that Will be readilyunderstood by all conversant in such matters, the extreme simplicityrendering an elaborate description unnecessary.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a reaping-machine attachment, the combination with a platformhaving sides thereto; of a drop-board hinged to one end of the platformand between the sides thereof, an arm extending from the outer edge ofthe drop-board to a point adjacent to one side, a stay secured to saidside and having a series of apertures therein, and a. spiral springsecured at opposite ends to said arm and in one of the apertures of thestay,respectively.

2. In a reaping-machine attachment, lthe combination, with a platformhaving cleats thereunder; of a detachable side upon the cleats, stripssecured to said side and adapted to engage the cleats and retain theside in jposition, a stay secured to the side and having a series 'ofapertures therein, a drop-board hinged to, and arranged along one edgeof the platform and adjacent to the side, an arm eX- tending from theouter edge of the drop-board, and a spiral spring secured at oppositeends to said arm and in one of the apertures in the stay, respectively.

ISAAC E. SHUMAKER.

Witnesses:

A. M. LOBAUGH, C. P. SHUMAKER.

